There isn’t any get together just like the Braunschweig Challenger get together.
Celebrating its thirtieth anniversary this week, the ATP Challenger Tour 125 occasion goes far past tennis, that includes stay music and leisure every evening of the Brawo Open. Even earlier than the primary ball, three days of concert events kickstart this annual spotlight within the north-central area of Germany.
“I believe the important thing for our success of the event is a combination of world-class tennis through the day and world-class leisure within the night,” mentioned event director Volker Jacke. “Our occasion is hosted for 10 days. Not solely seven days of tennis, we’re beginning on the primary day with three days of get together, concert events with bands and artists.”
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The event, or ought to we name it the music pageant, has been offering a two-part thriller for followers the previous three many years. What as soon as began with a single guitarist concluding every day’s motion in 1994, the Brawo Open quickly grew bigger, requiring a number of upgrades in its stage setup to accommodate extra well-known acts. Performing artists this yr embody German singer-songwriters Michael Schulte and Max Giesinger in addition to the band Culcha Candela.
Followers eagerly collect day after day and evening after evening, some hitting the exits simply earlier than dawn.
“Now we’re 10 days. Usually one artist each night. Maybe a dee-jay after the present,” Jacke mentioned. “The massive stage, we’ve got to be quiet at 11 p.m., that’s the rule from the town of Braunschweig however we’ve got an after-show get together, the place the folks will have fun extra till the morning, 4 or 5 a.m.”
The festivities happen on the Braunschweiger Tennis- und Hockey-Membership e. V. Credit score: Brawo Open.
The longest-running German Challenger has served as a springboard for a few of the world’s greatest tennis gamers. Of the previous 29 champions, 9 gamers have ascended to the High 20 of the PIF ATP Rankings, together with present World No. 4 Alexander Zverev, who gained Braunschweig in 2014.
Zverev was simply 17 years previous when he lifted his maiden ATP Challenger Tour trophy in Braunschweig, capping a dream run as a wild card then-ranked No. 665. Different former champions embody Gaston Gaudio (2000), present ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi (2001), Tomas Berdych (2004) and Florian Mayer (2013). Jan-Lennard Struff handled the house crowd to a double triumph in 2022, when he gained the singles title and partnered Marcelo Demoliner to assert the doubles trophy.
<img src="/-/media/photos/information/2024/07/04/01/16/zverev-braunschweigch-2014-celebration.jpg" fashion="width:100%" alt="Alexander Zverev on the 2014 Braunschweig Challenger.” />Alexander Zverev celebrates profitable the 2014 Braunschweig Challenger. Credit score: Thomas Ammerpohl
“I believe it’s a stepping stone for lots of gamers,” Jacke mentioned of the ATP Challenger Tour. “This yr we’ve got some older gamers who have been very, very excessive within the rankings, like [Roberto] Carballes Baena in opposition to [Cristian] Garin within the quarters. And we’ve got a whole lot of younger gamers who’re beginning their careers. They’re coming right here, eager to play their greatest tennis and they’re on the rising facet of their profession.
“The combination of previous gamers who have been very highly-ranked and younger gamers who’re arising, I believe that’s the key.”
Jacke, who succeeded Michael Stich as event director in 2016, has worn many hats on the Braunschweig Challenger, from spectator to working within the entrance workplace, and even line umpiring on the clay-court occasion in 1999.
The Brawo Open was named ‘Challenger Of The Yr’ for 4 consecutive years (2014-2017) and once more gained the honour in 2019. It’s the ninth longest-running ATP Challenger Tour event. For many individuals, it’s a vacation within the area, reuniting followers from far and vast.
“Folks meet in the future a yr for Christmas, all people is coming dwelling. This is identical right here,” Jacke mentioned. “‘Oh, subsequent yr? Brawo Open? ATP Challenger Tour event? Okay! Subsequent yr! That is the time and the place.’ It’s unimaginable. And I don’t know why they’re coming. It’s a secret.”
However that ‘secret’ shouldn’t be so effectively hidden: seven days of world-class tennis and nonstop enjoyable.
<img src="/-/media/photos/information/2024/07/11/21/57/berdych-braunschweigch-2004-forehand.jpg" fashion="width:100%" alt="Tomas Berdych on the 2004 Braunschweig Challenger.” />Tomas Berdych on the 2004 Braunschweig Challenger. Credit score: Brawo Open
Gamers have fun the Braunschweig Challenger thirtieth anniversaryAlexander Zverev, 2014 champion: “I want you all the most effective on your thirtieth birthday. One of many particular moments in my younger profession was again in 2014, my first Challenger victory. It is among the greatest Challenger tournaments I’ve ever performed and hopefully you should have one other 30 years.”
Jan-Lennard Struff, 2022 champion: “I want you all the most effective for the thirtieth anniversary of the event. Unimaginable respect for the superb tennis occasion you organise yr after yr, even within the evenings away from tennis. It’s actually distinctive. I at all times actually loved coming to Braunschweig. After all I look again fondly on 2022, a really, very tough week for me. To have the ability to win the event in singles and doubles was very particular. I want you all the most effective for this yr.”
ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi, 2001 champion: “On behalf of the ATP, I wish to give my congratulations for 30 years of the Brawo Open, an unimaginable Challenger. I’ve unimaginable reminiscences from my win in 2001 there. It was an unimaginable area with nice hospitality, nice reminiscences. Congratulations to all of the group and thanks very a lot for all of your efforts.”
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